Hangar for dirigibles



1932- G. F. ESSlG HANGAR FOR DIRIGIBLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, .1931

INVENTOR. I

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. F. ESSIG Aug. 23,- 1932.

INVENTOR. W 7 1 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 :unrresr res;

, comment. EssIc 'oF PHILADELPHIA, g NnsY 1 HANGAR non nmIGIBLEs manufacture of hangars for dirigibles to construct them in the'form of a large shed above iii a a very strong and it has therefore been customary to secure the dirigible to a moor-' ing mast usually at some distance from the hangar until the wind has subsided.

" 'lhefobject of my present invention is to devise a novel combined hangar and mooring mast wherein a subterranean hangar will be provided having removable covers substan tially flush with the surface of the ground so that in times of war they can be camou fiaged in such a manner that'it will not be easy to locate from airplanes or other dlli? gibles.

-A further object of the invention is to 2%; devise a novel hangar and mooring mast wherein the dirigible can be attached to the mooring mast and lowered directly into the hangar through the top thereof and thereafter the top can be moved into place to seal the top opening in the hangar. A further object of the invention is to devise a novel construction and arrangement of a hangar which can be economically manufactured and which will not be subjected to "31; the action of the wind and into which a diriglblc can be quickly moved irrespective of the direction in which the wind may be blowing.

A further object of the invention is to I devise a novel hangar having a movably mounted floor and provided with a mooring mast into registry with which any desired portion of the floor can be moved. 7 With the above and other objects in view,

as will hereinafter more clearly appear, my

has heretofore been the custom in the Application filed May 19; 1931. sea-a No. 538,496.

invention comprehends a novel hangar for dirigibles. A

It further comprehends a novel mooring mast for dirigibles which cooperates with a hangar in such a manner that a dirigible securedto the mooring mast'canbe quickly and accurately lowered into the hangar with its bow' extending in any desired direction.

It furthercomprehends a novel hangar for dirigibles wherein the hangar is located be- 4 neath the surface of the ground andprovided with an adjustable floor, the hangar being adapted to cooperate with a novel construction and arrangement of a portable mooring mast which can be moved to any ,de- 6 sired position around the hangar.

It further comprehends anovel construction and arrangement-of a sectional top which,'if desired may be ofa transparent" nature, such as, 'forexample, wireglass.

Other novel featuresof construction and advantage will hereinafter more clearly appear in the detailed description and'the appended claims. r g

- F or the purpose of illustrating theinven- 70 tion-I have shown in the accompanying drawings typical embodiments ofit, which, in practice, will give reliable and satisfactory results. It is, however, to'be understood that these embodiments are typical only and that 7 the various instrumentalities 0f which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is, not" limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as here- 0 inset forth. I V r v Figure 1 is a top plan view ofja hangar and mooring mast for dirigibl'esembodyingmy dirigible carried by the mooring mast co- 00 PATENT-OFFICE I 1 I 1 which, for example, may be a thousand feet The bottom of the chamber 1 operates with the guides within the hangar. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall of thehangar, V

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a'hangar and mooring mast embodying my in- V vention.

' section or cover can be reinforced. to prevent abnormal deflection thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts.

' Referring to the drawings a In the constructionofa hangar embodying'my'in'vention I first excavate to form a chamber '1 of the desired dimensions and in diameter. is provided. with a reinforced foundation 2 of any desired character and the walls 3 are preferably of reinforced concrete, the reinforcements beingof any desired or conven tional character. The bottom'of the chamber l is provided with the tracks 4 adapted 601 adjusta'blerelatively to the'walls of the chamto receive the rollers'5 which carrythe floor 6. c If desired the side walls may be formed with a smooth contour or they may be secured to them in any desiredmanner, for example, by means of fastening devices 7 to the guides 8, which, as illustrated are Tshaped in cross section although this shape is only for the purpose of'illustration. The top of th'eground above the walls 3 is provide-d withthe circular tracks 9. These tracks 9 havemounted on them a truck 10 having an upper structure not angular for- T mation. This upper structure can be made up oflstructuralframework of any desired,

character in order to'provide the requisite rigidity and one of its vertically disposed members 12 is provided with the guide angles i 13 to guide a H beam 14 to the upper end of which secured oneend of a cable 15 which passes over a desired number of suitable pulleys 16 and is connected with a hoisting drum k 17'which maybe of any desired construction and which is "preferably in the form of a 7 power actuated-hoisting drum.

The truck10 is provided with wheels 18 to engage thetrack 9. This truck, together. with the mooring mast, is circumferentially ber 1 by movingit around the track 9 as will be apparent" n "'19 designates a carrier slidable on the H beam 14, the carrier being" preferably provided-with anti friction rollers 20 and an eye 21 to which latter the dirigible 22 is. adapted to be secured. The H beam 14 when lowered does not pass into the chamber 1 but is supported on the surrounding wall 3 and a T shaped portion can be broughtinto registry with a guide 8 secured to the side wall of the chamber 1 so that the carrier 19 can be moved downwardly into the chamber 1 together with the dirigible 22, see Figure 3, connected therewith.

The top of the hangar is closed by means of a sectional cover consisting of the sections 23 eachof the sections being provided with levers 24. which travel on thetraclrs .25.

. These sections, it will belunder'stood, must be 'of such dimensions that theywill cover a considerable area and for "that reason I have shown them reinforced, as in Figure 9., by

means of the reinforcing cables 26 connected to the side walls 27 by means of theturn buckles 28, see also Figure 10. It will be understood from Figure 5 that. these doors incline downwardly from their outer periphery towards the transverse diameter of the hangar so that water will not collect thereon but will flow towards the median line 'and thencejto opposite sides of the doors. These doors may, if desired, be provided with transparent material 29 secured in a metal framework 30, as illustrated in Figure 7, in

order that the interior of the chamber- 1 will be illuminated by light passing through the transparent plates 29. It will, of course, be understood that the interior of the chamber 1 may be artificially illuminated in any desired or conventional manner.

' Referring now to the embodiment seen in" Figures 6 and 8, the construction is similar to that already described except that the turn table'3'1, which travels on the tracks 32, carries a mooring mast 33 illustrated as consisting of a H beam having a carrier 34 verti cally. adjustable thereon and to which the dirigible is fastened. In this case the mooring mast does not extend above the hangar.

It will of course be apparent that it is my intention to provide mechanical means, such as motors, of any desired type to effect the revolution of theturn table 31 or the turn table which forms the floor 6 of the embodiment seen in Figure 5. It is also to be understood that any desired mechanical appliances, such as motor driven cables, will be connected to the doors in all of the embodiments of my invention in order that they can be mechanically opened and closed; It-will also be apparent that I provide a suitable number of cable attaching means for the cables which are connected to different parts of the structure of the dirigible tosteadyit while it is being lowered into the hangar. In

Figure 6 I have shown the outer wall of the hangar as being provided with rings 35to which the cables can be attached to lower the dirigible into proper position to be received in the hangar.

The inner marginal portions of the doors overlap each other as will be understood by reference to Figure 5 and these overlapping portions are preferably above the ground level to form a dividing wall so that the water will flow from each door.

The hangar may be built along a hillside, for example, as shown in Figure 8, in which case I preferably, provide a passage 35 leading from the interior of thehangar to a point exterior thereof and passing through the inclined wall 36.

My present invention has many marked advantages. It is practically invisible so that it can not be seen or located by airships or dirigibles which do not know of its location. The dirigible can be moved into and out of the hangar irrespective of weather con ditions.

In the winter time snow will not remainon the roof of the hangar since the temperature of the chamber of the hangar remains constant at all times. The top of the hangar is also inclined in such a manner that snow and water can not accumulate and the water will run off.

As is apparent, my present type of hangar can be used, if desired, as a place in which the dirigible can not only be installed but also manufactured. 7

It will now be apparent that I have devised a new and useful hangar for dirigibles which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that these embodiments are susceptible of modification in various particulars Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hangar for dirigibles, comprising a subterranean chamber having a reinforced wall provided with guides, a mooring mast having a vertically movable carrier to which a dirigible is adapted to be attached, and having its base in the form of a track movable in proximity to the top wall of said opening, said carrier being adapted to engage said guides whereby the dirigible is accurately guided into said chamber.

2. A hangar for dirigibles, comprising a subterranean chamber, a revoluble bottom therefor, a sectional cover comprising plates,

and reinforcing cables extending beneath said 7 plates to prevent their sagging.

3. A hangar for dirigibles, comprisinga subterranean chamber, and a mooring mast subterranean chamber having circumferentially spaced aligning members on its inner wall, a track surroundingsaid chamber, a

mooring mast having its base formed by a truck provided with wheelsto engage said track, said mooring mast being provided with a vertically adjustable guide member adapted to be brought into alignment with the aligning members of said wall, and a carrier slid-' able on said guide member to which a dirigible is adapted to be secured and adapted .toengage an aligning member registering with said guide member to move a dirigible into said chamber.

, GOTTLIEB F. Essie. 

